Love Song Series Box Set (14 page)

Chapter 1
6

Julie

Before I can even get the engine cut off, Jenny is unbuckling her seat belt. “Can I go inside now, Momma?”

I
look across the front door and see Pop standing beside the open shop door. He lifts his cup of coffee and shouts. “There’s my girls.”

Jenny doesn
’t wait for me to answer, just jumps out and runs to him. By the time I climb from the car, she’s in his arms. A smile spreads across my face as I walk over to them. Leaning forward to kiss his weathered cheek, I say, “Are you sure you’re okay with her staying here?”

I know a shop isn
’t the best place for a kid to stay, but Pop swears she’ll be fine. What else can I do, when everyone I know is at work and Jenny has the day off school? It’s in-service for the teachers, so even Bethany can’t watch her.

“
We’ll have a great time, won’t we, sweetheart?” he asks, setting Jenny on her feet.

Nodding her head, she lets out an exited squeal.
“Pop is going to teach me to change the oil in his truck.”

I raise a brow and give Pop a
gotcha’
look. “Oh, really?”

“
It’s never too early to learn.” He shrugs as a slight blush crosses his cheeks.

I finally let out a laugh and place another kiss on his cheek.
“I trust you to take care of her, but just try to keep the oil out of her hair.”

He chuckles, pulling
her in for a hug. “I’ll do my best.”

After a quick hug
from Jenny, I head back to my car. As soon as I climb inside, I see the clock and let out a frustrated breath.
Late again!

It takes me nearly twenty minutes to get to
work, and when I do, Mr. Friedman is already in his office. I tip toe past it, hoping he doesn’t know I’m late again. I’m only at my desk a few moments when my phone rings.
“Julie, you have a call on line one. He wouldn’t give me his name, but he said it was a personal matter,” says Becca politely.

I
’m not sure what’s up with that girl, but she’s been sugary sweet since she found out I’m pregnant. As far as I’m concerned, she can go back to being a bitch. It was easier that way. I could hate her then. But now, I’m starting to remember why we were friends, and that makes this all that much harder. I’m just not ready to be her friend again.

Placing the phone to my ear, I try to forget
Becca and focus on word. “Julie Walker, how may I help you?”

“
This has gone on long enough. It’s time for you to come home. If you’re not here in two weeks, I’ll come get you.” The sound of Dean’s voice sends a chill down my spine. He’s been calling a lot, but this is the first time that he’s spoken to me.

He keeps talking, but I don
’t hear a thing. My mind is filled with images of Dean beating me. I can’t do this. I can’t talk to him.

After a few seconds of silence, he screams into the phone.
“Did you hear me, Julie? You need to come home now.”

“
You’re not supposed to contact me. It was agreed upon in the divorce,” I stutter out, still shaken to be talking to him.

He continues to shout, but I can
’t hear him. My ears are ringing, and my eyes are starting to tear up. When my stomach starts to roll, I jump up to make a mad dash for the bathroom. As soon as I stand up, my ears start to ring even louder, and my heart begins to race. I try to take a step, but blackness takes over.

I wake up lying on the couch in Mr. Friedman
’s office. Becca is wiping my face with a damp cloth, while Mr. Friedman is hovering behind her. I jerk away from her and try to sit up. “What happened?”

“
You just stay right there, little lady. You take a moment to get yourself together, and then I’m going to follow you home,” Mr. Friedman says, concern filling his voice.

“
What happened?” I ask again.

Becca
shakes her head. “I’m not sure. I heard something fall, and I came back here. You were on the floor, between your desk and chair.”

My hands instantly go to my stomach.
After a moment of panic, I allow myself to breathe. “I think I need to go home.”

Thirty minutes later, I
’m walking through my front door.
I
’m so glad to be home; I can’t wait to curl up in my bed and forget the last hour ever happened. I start to walk into the kitchen to grab a glass of ice tea before heading to bed, but I stop when I hear a whimper. I follow the sound to Bethany’s room. I’m scared to open the door. The last time I heard her cry, Dean had left her in a bloody mess on our living room floor.

I
place my ear to the door, but all I can hear is her crying quietly. I slowly open it and look in, worried that Dean may have shown up. I can’t see her anywhere. The room isn’t trashed, so I can assume he hasn’t been here, but I know it has something to do with him.

I hear another sob and realize the sound is coming from the closet. I remember her telling me that
Dean used to lock her in her closet for days at a time, and my fear spikes. Hell no! I run to the door and jerk it open. What I see makes my stomach clench.

Bethany
’s curled up with her knees to her chest. She’s holding an old, stuffed puppy dog and rocking back and forth. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “He’s coming for us.”

Jase

Jenny and I are in the waiting line at Kentucky Fried Chicken, getting some lunch, when she tugs on my hand. “Can we take our chicken back to Pop’s. He promised me I could help change the oil in Uncle Matty’s truck.”

“
I’m not sure you’re big enough for that just yet.”

She squares her shoulders and puffs out her chest.
“Sure I am. I helped Pop do his truck this morning.”

I look down at her bright pink tee-shirt and jeans, not a spot of
oil anywhere. “You helped him?”

She nods quickly.
“Yep, I handed him all kinds of tools.”

Ah, now I understand.
“Okay, Sweet Pea. That means we have to get something for the rest of the guys though. Wouldn’t be fair to go back with chicken and not share, would it?”

Before she can answer my question,
I feel a hand wrap around my bicep. “Hello there, Jase. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

Fuck! It
’s Brittany again. Can’t this bitch take a hint? I thought Jenny and I were pretty clear that she’s not wanted.

“
Daddy, it’s that woman I don’t like,” Julie says and rolls her eyes. I have to laugh at how blunt my girl is.

“
What do you want, Brittany?”

“
Nothing really. I just heard that Julie’s pregnant again. Wonder if she’s going to keep this one away from you, like she did her?” she finishes by motioning her head at Jenny. I start to respond, but am cut off by Jenny.

“
Don’t talk about my momma like that, or I’ll hit you in the nose!” Jenny screams and stomps her foot.

Brittany
jumps back. “She has your temper, doesn’t she?”

“
What is wrong with you?”

“
There is nothing wrong with me.”

“
Seriously, you don’t think there is anything wrong with saying that crap in front of my daughter? Thank God, you don’t have children,” I say, disgusted at her. “Talk like that around my child again, and I won’t think twice about hitting a woman.”

Brittany
looks scared for a moment and then goes back to being a bitch.
“Wonder where Julie will run off to this time?” she says with a laugh and walks away.

I look down to Jenny
, and she has tears in her eyes.

“
Don’t be upset, Sweet Pea. Don’t pay any attention to that woman. She’s just crazy,” I say, sounding a lot more certain then I am.

“
Momma won’t leave, will she? I don’t want to leave you, Daddy.”

Wrapping my arms around her, I do my best to reassure her.
“No, baby. You’re not going anywhere.”

Even as I say the words, I have to wonder if they
’re true. Julie said she hadn’t even thought about leaving, but I can’t be sure she’s telling the truth. I don’t think I can handle her running off again. I can’t lose Jenny. I might not know the new baby yet, but I already love it. I refuse to lose them.

I
’m done waiting. I’ve got to talk to her, really talk, and Julie is finally going to listen to me.

Chapter 17

“
Are you sure about this?” Pop asks as he walks with me toward my truck.

I look back to the shop and see Jenny
stealing a chicken leg from Matty’s plate. “Julie and I need to talk, and we need to do it without Jenny around.”

“
But you can’t take this shit to her work. It’s something that needs to be done alone.”

“
I saw her pulling into her driveway on my way home from getting lunch. She must’ve gotten off early.”

Pop stands quietly as I climb into my truck.
“I love her, Pop, and I know she needs time, but I can’t go on not knowing. I wake up every morning, wondering if it’s the day Julie is gonna run.”

He nods before pushing my door shut.
He stares at me through the window for a few long seconds, then lifts his chin and walks back into the shop. I watch him step inside before starting the engine and heading toward Julie’s.

I
take the long way to her house, planning out the conversation in my head. I’ve given her nearly a month, and I’m tired of waiting. I’m going to listen to what she has to say, but then she’s going to hear me out. Jenny is my kid too, and so is the one she’s got growing in her. Julie’s not going to run again.

It takes me nearly a half an hour to get there.
By the time I do, I’m nervous as hell. I’m not sure how this conversation is gonna go, but I know that no matter what the outcome, my life is about to change. She’ll either give me another chance, or I’ll have to move on without her. Either way, the kids will always be part of my life, the most important part.

I
knock on her door, but no one answers. I know they’re here because Julie and Bethany’s cars are both in the drive. I knock again, but still no response. Knowing they’re home, I open the door and walk inside. She may not want to talk to me, but I’m not giving her a choice.

As I look around the downstairs,
I don’t see anyone. I start to walk up the stairs, but stop when I hear what sounds like a woman crying. What the hell? I reach the top and start down the hall, and finally I hear voices and definitely someone crying. I walk toward the sound and stop right outside Bethany’s door.

“
He’s coming for us.” I know it’s Bethany talking, but her voice sounds like that of a scared little girl.

“
Did he call you too?” Julie asks. There’s a pause, then she says, “Don’t worry, hun. He’s not coming here. He’s just trying to scare us.”

“
No! He always finds me. I can never hide well enough,” Bethany screams, her panic coming through loud and clean.

“
No, Bethany. I promise he’s not going to hurt us anymore. We’ll run if we have to. We’ll run so far away that he’ll never be able to find us again.”

Oh
, hell no!

I step into the room
, and I’m surprised to find Julie and Bethany on the closet floor, holding on to each other. My anger at them immediately dies when I see the fear on both of their faces. Instead, a fierce need to protect them both fills me. “You’re not going anywhere, and no one is going to fucking hurt either of you.”

Julie

I’m holding on to Bethany tightly, finding comfort in our mutual fear of Dean. Fear leaps into my throat as a presence fills the room. Dean. Shit, he’s here already. What am I going to do? For a split second, my muscles are taut, and I feel my heart plummet. Then, I hear his voice. “You’re not going anywhere, and no one is going to fucking hurt either of you.”

I look up and see Jase walking toward us.
He looks angry. I need to explain the situation. I have to be truthful with him. “Jase, if he comes here, we won’t have a choice. You don’t understand what he’ll do.”

“
No! You aren’t going anywhere, and neither are you,” he says, first to me and then to Bethany. His eyes land on me again. “I’m not having you run off on me again. You’re not taking my kids away.”

“
It wouldn’t be like that this time. You have to understand that if Dean finds us, he’ll kill us,” I say quietly. Bethany starts to sob in my arms.

Jase kneels down on the floor beside us.
“He’s not going to fucking hurt you. I’ll kill him first.”

“
You don’t know my brother. He’s not normal. He’s...”

Bethany seems at a loss for words
, so I finish for her. “He’s crazy, Jase. I mean, absolutely certifiable.”

Jase looks at us both and shakes his head.
“He may be crazy, but he’s going to be dead if he messes with my family,” he says firmly.

Bethan
y looks up and gives him a sad smile. “But I’m not part of your family.”

“
The hell you’re not. You’re my daughter’s aunt. You’re my woman’s friend. In my book, that makes you
my
family.”

I start to tell him that I
’m not his woman, but figure now is not the time to point that out. Also, it’s a comfort to know Jase is willing to take care of us. As much as I hate to admit it, I need him right now.

“
You’ll really take care of us?” Bethany asks, her voice filled with hope. “You’ll keep him away from us?”

“
Yes, I give you my word that I will protect you and Julie with my life. If Dean shows his face in this town, he has me and my family to face. He won’t get close to you. That, I promise.”

We talk for a few minutes,
mostly Jase trying to comfort Bethany. Her body loses it rigid posture, and her breathing finally returns to normal. After a while, she slumps against the closet wall and closes her eyes. Within seconds, she is out. I slowly climb from the floor and grab a blanket from the bed.

As I place it over
her, Jase leans over and whispers in my ear. “Are you sure we should leave her on the floor like that?”

I nod, motioning for him to follow me out of the room.
As soon as we step in the hallway, I start to talk in a quiet voice. “If we try to move her, she’ll wake up. Right now, she needs to sleep.”

He looks over his shoulder, staring back into Bethany
’s room. “I’ve never seen anyone fall asleep like that. One minute she was talking, and the next she was dead to the world.”

“
I don’t know how long she was in the closet before I got here, but I’d bet it was awhile. She was absolutely terrified. I think her body just needs some rest to recoup.”

As we walk down the stairs, he places a hand on my arm.
“Why was she in the closet?”

“
It’s not my story to tell, but I don’t think she’d mind me telling you,” I say as I lead him into the living room. “When she was just a little girl, Dean used to lock her in the closet all the time. She said she used to hate it, but then she realized it was the one place she was safe from him.”

“
What the fuck?” he asks in a voice filled with confusion. “Why didn’t her parents stop him?”

“
They’re nearly as bad as Dean, though not their dad really. He’s just kind of detached. It’s like he doesn’t even realize what’s going on in his own home. Their mom, she is the coldest bitch I’ve ever met. I swear, you could get frostbite just from standing too close to her. She scares me, truly scares me.”

As the room goes quiet, h
e sits down on the couch. I look to the chair on the other side of the room but decide against it. Sitting next to him, I decide to get the ball rolling. “I know you came here to talk, so let’s talk.”

I think it
’s way past time we talked about everything, starting with how he could cheat on me. If I don’t ask and get this cleared up with him, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive him and move on. I also need to know what’s going on with him and Brittany. We need to talk about why I kept Jenny away from him too. I know he is angry, and I don’t blame him. With the new baby coming, and all this stuff with Dean, it’s time to finally clear the air.

“
Yeah, we do need to talk, but I’m not sure where to start.”

“
Me neither.”

We
’re both quiet for a minute. I’m not sure what to say, but the silence is killing me. I start to fidget in my seat, until he places a hand on my knee. “I’m sorry. I just can’t seem to sit still.”

“
Why?” he finally says. There are so many answers to that question that I don’t even try to answer. Instead, I just look at him.

“
Why, Julie? Why would you keep my daughter away from me? I know I fucked up, but I would never hurt a child. You had to know that.”

“
Your dad hurt you. He hurt you, Matty, and Shane. I couldn’t let you do the same thing.” I see pain flash across his face and wish I could take the words back.

“
I’m sorry, Jase. That was the wrong thing to say, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about that when I made the decision not to tell you.”

“
You could have told me anyway. You didn’t have to stay with me like Mom did with Pop. You could have left me but at least let me see Jenny.”

“
You’re right, but I was scared, and I also know you. Would you really have ‘let’ us break up? No, you would have done everything you could to stay with me. I didn’t want that. I knew you would be after me constantly, begging, pleading, anything. That’s why I left.”

“
That still doesn’t explain why you kept Jenny away from me.”

“
Mostly, it was because everyone kept telling me to stay away. They said you were drinking all the time and weren’t capable of being a dad. You have to remember, my mom was like that. There was no way I was gonna put Jenny through that kind of pain.”

“
I don’t agree, but I understand your reason.”

“
They were wrong, everyone was. I know that now. You’re a wonderful father.” I take a deep a breath, trying to control my tears. I look into his eyes and finally say what I have been thinking for nine years. “I’m sorry, Jase. If I had it to do over again, I would tell you.”

His face softens.
“You’re right. If you had stayed, I wouldn’t have let you go or given you a choice.”

Jase moves closer to me, and I know what
’s going to happen next. I would like nothing more than to kiss him, but now is not the right time. I stop him by raising my hand. “If I’m going to even consider moving forward, then we need to talk about Becca, and you and Brittany.”